


chai pakore

by asmaanixx



Category: Ishq Mein Marjawan 2
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Food, Head Massage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29523921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asmaanixx/pseuds/asmaanixx
Summary: In the late hours of the night, Riddhima and Vansh indulge themselves with rare domestic moments.
Relationships: Riddhima/Vansh Raisinghania
Kudos: 2





	chai pakore

Riddhima hissed the second the wet batter hit the sizzling oil.

She snuck a quick look towards the kitchen door entrance. She didn’t think anyone would make their way downstairs, but she wasn’t too sure. If not the sizzle of the oil, then surely, the aroma of the hot pakore would attract some bodies her way.

While the pakore fried, she took a moment to crack open the windows. Hopefully the cool night’s breeze will help to get rid of some of the smell. While she was there, she grabbed an empty plate.

Turning around, she startled, seeing Vansh on the other side of the stove. Just how quietly did he move? She herself wasn’t making a lot of noise as she didn’t want anyone to wake up, but Vansh? He moved as quietly as a shadow.

Lowering her eyes, she walked back towards the stove. The plate on the counter beside her, she picked up the straining spoon, and carefully stirred the pakore. Once she was happy with the color, she scooped them out of the oil, and placed them on the plate, which was now layered with a paper towel. 

She paused for a moment, wondering how the paper towel got there since she certainly didn’t place it there. She glanced at Vansh who was leaning against the counter, one hand in his pocket, while the other browsed through his phone.

Riddhima didn’t know what he wanted. It was somewhat normal for him to stay up till the late hours of the night. Daadi had once told her that he was simply conducting some business meetings with international clients but Riddhima knew better. She never pushed it however. The business deals that Vansh conducted were his personal matters. She had no reason to poke her nose in them. Not to mention, there simply was no way for her to inquire on such matters without raising suspicions on Vansh’s part.

Still, 2:30 a.m. was pushing it even for Vansh. He never stayed up that late. Then again, it wasn’t like her to be frying pakore in the middle of the night either. She supposed it was going to simply be one of those nights - ones where the odd, and unpredictable events take place.

While she scooped out another batch of pakore, she eyed Vansh as he walked around her to place a pot of water on the extra burner.

“Ek cup chai bana sakti ho? Sar mein bahut dard ho raha hai.”

Riddhima kept quiet, and waited as he stepped away from the stove, and walked towards the open window. A cool breeze hitting her face usually helped Riddhima with her headaches, but she didn’t know if it would work for Vansh as well.

She poured out the remaining blobs of batter into the oil, and holding the empty bowl, she turned around. She paused again, seeing Vansh in front of her. His back was to her, but it was still enough to make her feel on edge. With his hands in his pockets, he was standing in her way, and she needed him to move aside. However, she didn’t want to engage with him more than what was absolutely necessary.

Keeping her head down, she took a few steps towards the sink he was standing in front of.

She reached around him to place the bowl in the sink. Her action must have startled Vansh for he slightly jerked in his spot. He took one step to the side, allowing Riddhima to come forward, and wash her hands.

It was a highly simple task. One that she must have completed over a million times in her lifetime by now, and one that she could do with her eyes closed. In that moment however, she focused all her energies into scrubbing, and rinsing her hands. If asked, she would have said that she simply wanted to make sure she had gotten every bit of the batter off of her hands. Truthfully though, it was simply an excuse to not look at Vansh who was staring intently at her.

Drying her hands off, she went back to the stove, and checked in on the pakore. The final batch had gotten a little too brown for her liking. But no matter. She wasn’t going to be too picky that night.

Riddhima placed the pot of water Vansh had brought onto the counter for a brief moment. She would simply shift the kadai over to the cool burner, and use the already running one to make Vansh’s tea. She had been about to do just that, but hissed and dropped the kadai as soon as her palms touched the metallic handles. In the very next moment, she was pulled backwards by a strong arm, and she hit a sturdy chest. Her heartbeat quickened.

She looked down at her curled toes, and saw that her toes had been spared from being burnt by the hot oil. Though, a few droplets had managed to come onto her slippers.

Vansh’s hand rested calmly against her waist, and his words blew past her hair, and tickled her neck. “Are you okay?”

Shivering, because of the wind Riddhima reasoned and not Vansh’s words, she nodded.

He removed his hand from her waist, and took a few steps away from her. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he told her, “Chai rehne do. Mein tablet leke so jaunga.”

He had turned around to leave, when Riddhima called out to him. “Nayi.” He paused, and waited for her to continue. “M-mein bana dungi. Just give me ten minutes.” With a simple nod of his head, he left the kitchen.

Riddhima was taken back by her own action. She stopped Vansh? Moreover, she offered to do something for him? Something nice?

She ran a hand over her forehead. It didn’t look like she had a fever. She blamed her irrational behavior on the cold wind that was blowing in instead. She headed over to the window to close it. When she turned around, she saw Vansh come into the kitchen again, this time carrying a mop and bucket with him.

Seeing him clean up the oily mess she had made, Riddhima stepped towards him.

“Vansh, yeh rehne do. Mein kar lungi.” She had extended her hand for the mop but Vansh carried on.

“Mein kar lunga. Tum bas chai bana do.”

His words were short, and his tone left no room for argument. Riddhima nodded, and walked around the stove so that she was standing opposite of Vansh. The pot had been placed on the burner and was just about ready to come to a boil.

“Adrak, elaichi daal doon?” She asked as Vansh set the mop and bucket up against a pantry door.

“Hmm.”

Pulling the marble mortar and pestle, Riddhima slowly crushed some ginger, and cardamom into a coarse powder. From the corner of her eye, she watched Vansh as he walked over to the fridge, and pulled out a big steel pot of milk along with a bottle of red sauce. He placed the sauce bottle, and the plate of pakore in front of her. Grabbing two mugs, he poured out some milk into each one.

He lifted one, tilted it towards her and asked, “Is that enough for you?”

Riddhima nodded.

He walked back to the fridge to store the milk away. Seeing the water come to a raging boil, Riddhima added the sugar, tea leaves and the crushed ginger and cardamom powder. Now, it was just a matter of a few minutes and the tea will be done.

“Jab chai ban jaye, kamre mein le aana.” She watched Vansh take the mop and bucket, and leave the kitchen.

Once he was out of her sight, Riddhima’s shoulders slumped.

What the hell was she thinking? Why was she being so kind to him? She was supposed to be hating his very guts and be repulsed whenever he was around her.

She shook her head. It truly was a bizarre night.

She placed the sauce bottle, and the plate of pakore onto a tray. When the tea was done, she turned off the stove, and poured out the tea into the two mugs that had been laid out by Vansh. She placed the dirty pot into the sink, ran some cold water over it, and threw out the coarse residual from the tea. Placing the two mugs of tea onto the tray, Riddhima carried it upstairs to her bedroom.

When she came before the closed door, she looked between it and the heavy tray in her hands. She kicked the door twice hoping Vansh would hear it. He did, as a few seconds later, the door swung open.

She eyed him for a brief second before she ducked her head and walked inside. She brought the tray over to the side table and took a seat on one of the tall chairs. Vansh took his seat in the empty one beside her. He immediately picked up one of the mugs of tea and took a sip on it. He winced and brought the mug down before he even had the chance to swallow his tea.

Riddhima scowled at him. “Thoda sa sabar nahi hota kya tumse? Pata hai na ki chai garam hai.”

“Chilao mat. Pehle se hi mera sar dard kar raha hai.” He spoke sternly.

Riddhima pressed her lips and looked away. She busied herself in uncapping the sauce bottle and poured some of it out onto the plate holding the pakore. Once done, she capped the sauce bottle, dipped one pakora into some of the sauce and ate it. It was crunchy, slightly greasy, but most importantly, the onions tasted sweet. She plopped the rest of the pakora into her mouth while Vansh blew on his tea.

Another pakora was eaten, and the first sip of tea was taken. They continued to quietly eat and drink in a similar manner for several minutes.

Riddhima didn’t know why though. Usually she would yearn for the opportunity to get away from him. The only time of day that she dreaded the most was night because it meant her having to share the same room as him for hours on end. Yet, here she was, sharing a meal with him in the late hours of the night. Maybe she was coming down with something.

“Pakore kaise hai?” He asked, startling Riddhima from her thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“Pakore.” He gestured with his eyes as he took another sip. “Kaise hai?”

“Ache hai.” She slid the plate over to him. “You can have some.”

Vansh picked one up, dipped it into the sauce and plopped the entire thing into his mouth.

“Kaise hai?” Riddhima asked.

Still chewing, he simply nodded his head and gave a thumbs up. It pleased her heart. She quickly chased the feeling away.

“Aur chai?” She asked. “Chai toh teekh hai na?”

Again, he nodded. Taking another sip, he sighed and leaned back against the chair. He rubbed his fingers over his forehead and squeezed his eyes.

“Mein massage kar doon?” Her question astonished both her and him.

He stared at her for a few seconds before responding. “If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t. Mein haath dho kar aati hoon.” Riddhima excused herself to the bathroom to wash her hands.

As the water ran over her soapy hands, she looked at herself in the mirror’s reflection. She’s crossing lines by showing him kindness. It’s his head that’s hurting. Why should she care?

She turned off the faucet, dried her hands off and went back to Vansh. She stood behind the chair Vansh was seated at.

“Sar peeche karo.” She instructed.

Vansh leaned his head back, and cradled the mug of tea in his hands. Riddhima began rubbing her fingers over his head in soothing circles. He released a deep sigh. 

Riddhima continued to massage him for several minutes before she asked, “Champi kar doon?”

He shook his head, and answered, “Subah kar dena.”

She resumed her massage. It was after another few minutes that she processed his words. He expected another act of kindness from her tomorrow. Riddhima huffed. It’s her fault anyways. She put out the offer in the first place. Now if she denied him, she’ll end up being the rude one. Maybe she can make some sort of excuse.

Riddhima looked down at Vansh and noticed the mug of tea tipping over.

“Vansh!” She shook his shoulders.

He awoke with a start. “Kya hua?”

Riddhima sighed. “You were falling asleep.” She walked around, took the mug of tea from his hands, and placed it on the table.

“Sorry.” He mumbled to her much surprise.

She blamed it on his drowsiness. She doubted he would apologize for anything if he had a working mind.

“Go to sleep.” She told him.

She picked up her own mug of tea and took large gulps from it. It had gotten cold much to her distaste. Vansh stood up and shuffled his feet away from the reading nook. Riddhima paled when he stopped going further and collapsed on the bed. He must be truly out of his mind if he couldn’t remember where he was supposed to be sleeping.

She took several more large gulps of her tea, then placed it on the tray. She walked over to him, removed his loafers, and tucked him underneath his red blanket. She turned off the lights, laid down on the sofa and draped the blanket he used over herself.

As she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep, she hoped a repeat of this night never happened again.


End file.
